Investigation Committee 2

"My judgment on the actions of union staff member Iris Steyer is, no."

The statement from Shinnosuke caused everyone present to doubt their ears.

Everyone had believed Iris to be without major flaws, yet Shinnosuke's assessment differed.

"I have a question for Iris. Is it correct that you've been handling reception duties at the union for three years?"

"...Yes."

"Do you have any prior acquaintance with Walter?"

"No, Mr. Walter had only recently become independent as a护卫 ship crew member and registered with the union...

"In that case, it would indeed be difficult for Miss Iris to recognize Mr. Walter's qualities, just as she said. Then, have you informed Mr. Glen of this information?"

"No, Mr. Glen hasn't asked me about it, and there are no rules requiring me to report Sailor's background or experience."

Iris's explanation is consistent, and I don't see any major procedural flaws.

Yet Shinnosuke wears a stern expression.

"Indeed, I understand Iris's explanation. But if there's no rule requiring disclosure, does that mean there's a rule against disclosing it?"

"Eh?...No, there isn't."

By this point, Shinnosuke's question feels like nitpicking, and everyone looks at him with suspicion.

However, Shinnosuke was utterly serious.

"Admittedly, what I'm saying probably sounds utterly unreasonable. But Iris has been working as a union receptionist for three years now. She may be young, but she's certainly not an inexperienced newcomer. She should understand that jobs involving escort ships, those requesting escorts, and the crew members assigned to those escorts—these are all matters of life and death. In such circumstances, crew members carefully analyze every piece of information to assess risks, weigh the options, and make decisions. Under these conditions, the relationship with the staff member who mediates these assignments cannot be ignored. If you're consistently passive and complacent in your daily work, you won't be able to build trust with that staff member."

...

Iris is speechless upon hearing Shinnosuke's explanation.

Meanwhile, Lina leans forward in her seat as a committee member, listening intently to Shinosuke's words.

"For example, I'm still new to being a freelance merchant, but my first job as a bodyguard happened to be a contract with Mr. Glen and his group. At the time, the escort vessel originally scheduled for the job had canceled, leaving Mr. Glen and his team in a bind. I approached them, and after some discussion between us, we agreed to take on the job through the guild's mediation process. Fortunately, the mission ended successfully. But if it had failed, the responsibility would have fallen solely on me and Mr. Glen—there would have been no grounds to blame the guild. However, in this case, Mr. Glen consulted Iris first, and it was Iris who introduced Walter and arranged the work. These two situations are completely different."

Shinnosuke stared intently at Iris.

Unable to bear that gaze, Iris looked down.

"To put it more clearly, if a merchant simply placed an unknown product called A on display, and a customer came in and asked to buy A, then there's nothing the merchant can do. But if a customer came in saying, 'Please find something to sell me,' and the merchant sold them an unknown product without explaining its nature, then the merchant's integrity would be called into question. Yes, a transaction has taken place, but such a merchant cannot be trusted. This is why I judged Iris's actions to be unacceptable."

With Shinosuke's explanation concluded, the inquiry committee adjourned.

The verdict regarding Walter and Iris would be announced at a later date.

However, during the inquiry, an undeniable suspicion emerged regarding Walter, leading to his arrest by the Coast Guard, who had been summoned following a report from the guild, and he would now undergo investigation by the Coast Guard.

In any case, Shinosuke had fulfilled his duties and was finally released from the inquiry committee.

As he stepped out of the conference room, he was called back by Ira.

"Good work, Shinosuke. If you have time, how about having a drink together?"

An unexpected invitation, but no reason to refuse.

"Sure, is a café here okay?"

"It's not a date, so anywhere is fine."

Having felt parched during the interrogation committee, the two of them decided to quickly grab a drink at the café inside the union hall.

"But you made quite a harsh judgment, didn't you? That staff member was nearly in tears, weren't they?"

Aira said with half-amazement, stirring an ample amount of sugar into her hot synthetic fruit tea as she ordered it.

Shinnosuke, who had accidentally ordered coffee without checking the menu, couldn't stop being curious about Aira's tea.

"I was merely making an objective judgment. While I'm uncertain about my assessment of Walter, I did hesitate regarding Iris's judgment. Still, honestly speaking, I wouldn't feel comfortable entrusting Iris with a job referral right now. Well, it's almost like a firm 'no,' if you will."

Hmm, well, I suppose your explanation is certainly accurate, but still, I believe her response was appropriate.

Isn't that fine? It's the responsibility of the review committee to make decisions based on various opinions, after all. It's natural that opinions sometimes align and sometimes don't.

Aira listens to Shinosuke's words with a puzzled expression.

"I thought this before, but your way of speaking is always so stiff. Don't you get tired of it yourself?"

"Well, I've been in military life for a long time, so it doesn't bother me much."

"I heard you're a former military, but which unit were you in?"

"I was part of the Frontier Patrol Unit under the 2nd Fleet of the Space Navy, and my final rank was Lieutenant. Though, in the end, I was transferred to a rather obscure unit—no one even knew what it was for."

"The Second Fleet, huh. The main fleet of the Akeria Space Navy—impressive, isn't it?...Oh, but the Second Fleet's in a tough spot right now."

Ira, impressed by Shinosuke's military record, suddenly seemed to recall something.

"What is it?"

"Ever since the new fleet commander arrived, scandals have been cropping up one after another, and a wave of purges is sweeping through."

"Is that so?"

I only heard about it through rumors, that's all. I don't know the details. Maybe it has something to do with Shinosuke being transferred?

Shinnosuke laughs along, deflecting her teasing smile with a playful grin of his own.

That couldn't possibly be the case. A mere lieutenant from the rear unit wouldn't be involved in something like that.

Ira's story seems to be nothing more than rumors, and Shinosuke has neither suspicion nor interest in it.

Their conversation at that moment was merely casual chatter.

Reaching over 10,000 points in total after just 30 chapters is something unprecedented in my previous works, and I'm truly amazed by it.

This is all thanks to everyone who has been reading along.

This story still has a long way to go, and I'll continue to put in my best effort to meet your expectations.

Please continue to support me in the future.